In the 2009 science assessment, 41 percent of eighth-grade students who were not eligible for the National School Lunch Program performed at or above the Proficient level, while 22 percent of students who were eligible for reduced-price lunch and 12 percent who were eligible for free lunch performed at this level.

Because of the recent changes to the assessment, the results from 2009 cannot be compared to those from previous assessment years. To establish the baseline for future science assessments, the overall average score for each grade was set at 150 on a 0 to 300 scale. Find out more about the new framework and what the assessment measures.

Read specific descriptions of what eighth-graders should know and be able to do at the Basic, Proficient, and Advancedscience achievement levels.